The Results of the Recent Excavations at Domuztepe *
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THE RESULTS OF THE RECENT EXCAVATIONS AT DOMUZTEPE * by U. BAHADIR ALKIM The citadel of Domuztepe °, which lies in a key position in eas- tern Cilicia at the foot of the Anti-Taurus mountains on the road going up to Cappadocia, is directly opposite the fortress of Karatepe which has a strategic importance equal to that of Domuztepe. It is furthermore on a natural thickly wooded hill on the eastern bank of the Ceyhan River (Pyramus). It was here that the Karatepe Expedition, conducted by Professor Bossert, under the auspices of the Turkish Historical Society, the Turkish Directorate-General of Anti- quities and Museums and Istanbul University, carried out its first investigations in 1947 and further soundings in 1948. From these we have learned that there was a settlement here contemporary with King Asitawa(n)da-s of Karatepe (Asitawandawa), in the eighth century B. C., and also later settlements in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. ~ri our preliminary reports 2 we described our * Lecture delivered to the 22nd International Congress of Orientalists (15th-22nd September 1951, ~stanbul). The present paper was read to the joint session of the Ancient Orient and Ancient Anatolia sections on September 22 nd, 1951. In the limited time available only a summary was possible ; it is republished here with the addition of footnotes, but without other alteration. The architecture, sculptures and small finds will be critically analysed in the author's final report of the soundings at Domuztepe. This is now in course of preparation. The English text of this article was revised by Professor G. E. Bean, to whom the author wishes to express his gratitude. Professor H. Th. Bossert and Dr. Halet Çambel saw Domuztepe from Ka- ratepe in February 1946 when they made the first visit to the ruins of Karatepe (cf. H. Th. Bossert and H. Çambel: Karatepe. A Preliminary Report on a new Hittite Site, Istanbul 1946, p. 12 (=Karatepe I). The discovery of Domuztepe citadcl was made by Prof. Bossert and the author in the Spring of 1947 (cf. H. Th. Bossert and U. Bahad ~ r Al kim : Karatepe, Kadirli and its Environments, Se- cond Preliminary Report, ~stanbul 1947, p. 28 [=Karatepe II]. 2 Cf. Karatepe I, p. 12 and Fig. 21; Karatepe II, pp. 28-29 and Figs. 155, 156, 159, 16o; U. B. Al kim: Les r6u1tats archiologiques des fouilles de Karatepe, Re- EXCAVATIONS AT DOMUZTEPE 239 finds objectively without forming conclusions. But now that the studies and excavations in the autumn of 1949 3 and again of 1950 4 have made possible a more thorough understanding of the archaeologi- cal importance of this site, we shall try to present briefly the results of our investigations. We find that there are four periods of occupation at Domuz- tepe; beginning with the most recent and working backwards, the periods are these : Roman, Hellenistic, The eighth century B. C., The ninth century B. C. I proceed to consider each of these periods in the above order. I. THE ROMAN PERIOD The Roman structures, built in part from the materials left over from previous times, are to be found in an arca of some three square kilometres covering the summit and the slopes on the north, the east and the south. Because of the extensive destruction in mediaeval and modern times we are unable to draw a clear plan from the sur- face remains. However on the summit where we concentrated our efforts we were able to uncover in considerable quantity simple potsherds, a limited number of fragments of terra sigillata and metal vessels, and a silver coin struck in the year 150 B. C. These finds were of the Hellenistic, Iron Age, and Late-Hittite periods, all mixed together. Many of the various basalt hand-mill stones and presses belong to the Roman period. The earthernware pipes bringing water from vue Hittite et Asianique, vol. IX, No. 50 (1948-1949), p. 3; U. B. Alk ~ m : Ex- cavations at Karatepe, Belleten vol. XII (1948), pp. 254-255; U. B. Alk ~ m : Third Season's Work at Karatepe, loc. cit. vol. XIII (1949), p. 373; H. Th. Bossert- U. B. Alk ~ m-H. Çambel and associates : Die Ausgrabungen auf dem Karatepe, Ankara 1950, pp. 64-71 and Figs. 130-155, 157, 159-175 (=Ausgrabungen). U.B. Alk ~ m: Karatepe-Third Campaign, Belleten yol. XIV (1950), pp. 546-549. 3 U. B. Alk ~ m : Karatepe-Fourth Campaign, Belleten vol. XIV (1950), pp. 655- 657:, cf. Anatolian Studies yol. I (1951), p. 9 and Anadolu yol. I (1951), p. 26. 4 U. B. Alk ~ m : The Fifth Season's Work at Karatepe, Belleten vol. XIV (1950), pp. 68o-681; cf. Anatolian Studies yol. I (195~ ), p. lo and Anadolu vol. I (1951), pp. 28-29. 240 U. BAHADIR ALKIM an abundant and perennial spring to the north-east, show the stra- tegic and economic importance of the community during the Roman period on Domuztepe, which even now is covered with olive trees. The architectural style of certain walls of the Domuztepe en- ceinte, although very much damaged, shows that this fortress was reused during the Roman period, though often with additions and alterations. THE HELLENISTIC: PERIOD Up to the present time we have been unable to find any remains of buildings from this period. We judge that during Roman times, Hellenistic buildings were either destroyed or completely rebuilt. However, the abundant potsherds of the fourth, third and second centuries B. C., and the coin of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B. C.) which was found in the autumn of 1950 in front of the small entrance with a single lion, are strong evidence that Domuztepe was an important site during the Hellenistic period. On the other hand at least one part of the construction of the enceinte on the south-east indicates that Domuztepe was again a for- tified site during the Hellenistic period. THE EIOHTH CENTURY B.C. A. Architectural remains : In our previous reports we indicated that in the time of Asitawa(n)da-s who built the Karatepe Fortress and had bilingual inscriptions written in hieroglyphic Hittite and in Phoenician, Domuztepe either belonged to the Danunians or was a boundary fortification of a people in friendly relations with them, and that the basalt used in the reliefs of Karatepe, was taken from the quarries of Domuztepe.5 The architectural remains belon- ging to this age were found in the soundings which we made in 950 on the summit itself and to the north of the small entrance with a single lion. ~ ) After the stone blocks fallen from Roman buildings were removed, and the thick trees and bushes were cleared from the area west of the summit, we found at a depth of 20 to 30 centimetres the foundations of a few adjacent rooms erected on virgin rock. Just s Ausgrabungen, pp. 70-71; Belleten yol. XIV (1950), p. 657. tl. B. Alk~m Lev. XXXI Res. ~~ — H, odas~ n~ n kuzey-do~udan görünü~ü. Fig. ~~ — Room H, from the Xorth-East. Res. 2 — Tek arslanl~~ kap~n~n kuzeyindeki sondaj alan~. Fig. 2 — Area of the Sounding to the JV'orth of the gate with a single lion. Belleta~ , C. XVI Lev. XXXII U. B. Alk ~n Res. 3 — Hayat a~ac~~ tasvirli ortostat. Fig. 3 — Orthostat depicting two men and the Tree of Life. Sun-disc above. Belleten, C. XVI U. B. Alktm I,ev. XXXIII Bell ~den, C. XVI Lev. X XXI V U. B. Allan~~ B•lk~~~~n, C. XVI U. B. Ali= Lev. XXXV Res. g — Bir Sakçagözü ortostat~ . Fig. 9 — Orthostat from the east side of the entrance to Sakçagözü Palace. Now in Ankara. Res. 10 — Bir Karatepe ortostat~n~n üzerindeki kanatl~~ güne~~ kursu. Fig. 10 — The sun-disc aboue a demon relief from Karatepe. ~en, C. XVI Lev. XX X VI U. B. Alk~n Belle~en, C. XVI, U. B. Allam Lev. XXXVII Res. 13-14 — Domuztepe ta~ocaklar~na ve ta~~ ç~karma yerlerine ait iki görünü~. Fig. 13-14 — Two views of the quarries on Domuztepe. Bellmen, C. XVI. Lev. XXXVIII U. B. Alk ~n kes. 15-15a — Domuztepe ta~ocaklarma ve ta~~ ç~karma yerlerine ait görünü~ler. Fig. 15-15a — Other views of the guarries on Domuztepe. B~lleten, C. XVI. U. B. Alk ~m Lev. XXXIX Res. 16 — Tek arslanl~~ kap~ n~ n önündeki küçük sondaj alan~. Fig. 16 — Results of the sounding in a small area in front of le lion gate. Res. 17 — Ayni sondaj alan~ ndaki A ve B mimarl~ k katlar~. Fig. 17 — Levels A and B in the same sounding. Belleten, C. XVI. Lev. X L U. B. Alk~m Domuztepe'de 1950 Sonbahar~ nda bulunan A kap~~ arslan~~ (D~~~ yüz). l<1:;. 18 Domuztepe, Portal Lion A. found in 1950. Outer side. Res. 19 — A kap~~ arslan ( ~ç yüz). F~g. 19 — Portal Lion A. Inner side. Bellettn, C. XVI. U. B. Allam XLI Res. 20 — Sirkeli'de bulunmu~~ olan kaide. Hâlen Adana Müzesinde. Fig. 20 — Pedestal found at Sirkeli. Now in Adana Museum. By courtesy of Professor J. Garstang. Res. 21 -- Zincirli men~eli kap~~ arslan~. Yük. 1.92 m., gen. 0.87 m. Hâlen Adana Muzesinde. Fig. 21 — Portal lion of archaic appearance from ( Height 1.92, breadth o.87 m. Now in Adana Museum. Belleten, C. XVL JA ~ . \ I, I I Il . B. Allam Res. 22 — Domuztepe. A kap~~ arslan~ n~n pençeleri. Fig. 22 — Domuztepe. Paws of portal lion A. Rs. 23 — Alacahöyük sfenksinin pençeleri. Fig. 23 — Paws of the sphinx at Alacahöyük. Belleten, C.